Because, as a southern Illinois semi truck accident attorney, I represent people who have been seriously hurt in crashes with large trucks, I was pleased to see an article outlining just how long and involved the recovery from such a crash should be. The Alton Telegraph published an article Feb. 11 about Rachael Honnen, a 26-year-old mother of three whose van collided with a big rig last September. Honnen was trapped in the van for two hours before emergency responders were able to free her and fly her to St. Louis for treatment of life-threatening injuries. She spent another two months recovering at Rosewood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Edwardsville. Now, she’s in a wheelchair but at home with her husband and children, working to exceed her doctors’ expectations.
Honnen was heading to work at the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center on the morning of Sept. 11. The crash happened on Illinois Route 111; its cause was not described. However, Honnen ended up with compound fractures to her legs, a broken neck and a broken arm. The Telegraph article said she also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, a result of the frightening crash. Honnen told the newspaper that as she was stuck in the van, she didn’t believe she would survive her injuries and thought about whether she’d ever see her children again. Since November, however, she’s been home with three-year-old Taylor, seven-year-old Meadow and eight-year-old Joseph. In addition to completing rehabilitation work at Rosewood, Honnen spends most of her week in physical therapy. Doctors say she will need 18 more months of physical therapy and shoud be able to walk in another year.
This article is a good explanation of the struggles many families face after a serious accident with a large truck. Rachael Honnen’s injuries leave her without the ability to fully be a mother, a wife and a phlebotomist. As she notes in the article, her husband is now balancing 12-hour work days with taking care of all three kids—as well as being the sole wage-earner. This is not an uncommon story for families involved in a crash with a big rig. Because large commercial trucks are far bigger even than larger private vehicles, the injuries to the people in the smaller vehicles are catastrophic more often than they would be in a crash between two cars. A serious injury takes the victim out of commission for the long term. During that time, the victim is not earning money, not contributing to the household, and, often, racks up huge medical bills as well. My job as a St. Louis tractor-trailer accident lawyer is to help families recover compensation for these and other losses.
If you suffered a serious injury or death in the family because of a truck driver’s negligence, you should call Carey, Danis & Lowe to discuss how we can help. Based in Belleville, Ill. and St. Louis, we represent families seeking justice and financial compensation for accidents caused by a trucking company or trucker’s bad decisions. Negligence by drivers and trucking companies is more common than many people think. The trucking companies have financial reasons to push their drivers to work too long, drive in unsafe conditions or overload their trucks; truckers also make bad decisions of their own because of money or addiction. Our Missouri 18-wheeler accident attorneys help clients recover the money they need to treat their injuries, accommodate a disability, make ends meet and more.
Carey, Danis & Lowe serves clients throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. To learn more about us or set up a free, confidential consultation, send us a message online or call 1-877-678-3400 today.
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